Research progress on exogenous hormone regulation and multi⁃omics in cucumber sex differentiation

doi:10.16178/j.issn.0528-9017.20250346

Abstract

Abstract:

Sex differentiation in cucumbers directly impacts their yield and quality. The study on sex differentiation in cucumbers is of significant importance for germplasm conservation，variety improvement，and elite seed breeding. Plant hormones play a crucial role in regulating cucumber flower bud sex differentiation and expression. For example，gibberellin can promote male expression. Auxin，abscisic acid，ethylene，and cytokinin can enhance female expression. Concurrently，with the advancement of omics technologies，multi-omics integrated analysis has become a powerful tool for investigating complex plant mechanisms. Significant progress has been made in plant sex differentiation research through transcriptomics and metabolomics. This review primarily summarized the regulatory roles of exogenous hormones like ethylene，auxin，gibberellin，cytokinin，and abscisic acid in cucumber sex differentiation，and the applications of transcriptomics and metabolomics in plant sex differentiation studies，so as to provide theoretical references for the in-depth study of sex differentiation in cucumbers and to offer a basis for sex regulation and high-yield and high-quality cultivation of cucumbers.

Key words: cucumber, sex differentiation, plant hormone, transcriptomics, metabolomics

CLC Number:

S642.2

JIANG Rui, ZHU Yuqiang, SUN Yuyan, WANG Xin, TAN Jihong, WANG Huasen, ZHANG Peng. Research progress on exogenous hormone regulation and multi⁃omics in cucumber sex differentiation[J]. Journal of Zhejiang Agricultural Sciences, 2026, 67(5): 1326-1332.

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